US8184296B2ActiveUtilityA1

Emissions monitoring apparatus, system, and method

Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Feb 18, 2009Filed: Dec 8, 2009Granted: May 22, 2012

Est. expiryFeb 18, 2029(~2.6 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:Robert G. Johns Reginald L. Viray Edward P. Weaver Nathan J. Lundin Megan Jones

F01N 2560/12F01N 2590/02F01N 2900/12Y02T10/40G01M 15/108F01N 11/00

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References

Claims

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention generally relate to an apparatus configured to monitor emissions. The apparatus includes a sampling chamber, a gas analyzer, and a particulate matter analyzer. The sampling chamber is configured to receive a portion of an exhaust flow from an exhaust stack. The portion of the exhaust flow comprises one or more gases and particulate matter. The gas analyzer is configured to receive the portion of the exhaust flow to measure at least one emission level of the one or more gases using a laser and output a signal indicative thereof. The particulate matter analyzer is operatively connected to the sampling chamber and is configured to measure the particulate matter using optics and output a signal indicative thereof.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a sampling chamber configured to receive a portion of an exhaust flow from an exhaust stack, wherein the portion of the exhaust flow comprises one or more gases and particulate matter;
a gas analyzer configured to receive the portion of the exhaust flow to measure at least one emission level of the one or more gases using a laser and output a signal indicative thereof; and
a particulate matter analyzer operatively connected to the sampling chamber and configured to measure the particulate matter using optics and output a signal indicative thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a directional control unit configured to open and close ports, and configured to receive the portion of an exhaust flow from an exhaust stack and transfer the portion of the exhaust flow to the sampling chamber and the gas analyzer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a constant pump configured to draw the portion of the exhaust flow from the direction control unit to the sampling chamber, and further configured to return the portion of the exhaust flow to the exhaust stack.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the directional control unit is operatively connected to one or more exhaust stacks, and further configured to receive the portion of the exhaust flow from at least one stack.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when analysis of the portion of the exhaust flow is completed, the constant pump is further configured to return the portion of the exhaust flow to the exhaust stack.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas analyzer comprises a chamber with a number of lasers, each laser dedicated to a specific type of gas.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the chamber of the gas analyzer is further configured to receive the portion of the exhaust flow from directional control unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the number of lasers comprises at least one of a nitrogen oxide laser, a sulfur oxide laser, and a carbon dioxide laser, and
wherein the nitrogen oxide laser is configured to measure and collect data related to nitrogen oxide, the sulfur oxide laser is configured to measure and collect data related to sulfur oxide, and the carbon dioxide laser is configured to measure and collect data related to carbon dioxide.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the gas analyzer is further configured to transmit, via a network, the nitrogen oxide data, the sulfur oxide data, and the carbon dioxide data to a processing unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the particulate matter analyzer is further configured to transmit, via a network, particulate matter data to the processing unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of thermocouples, each thermocouple is located at a specific location within the apparatus, and configured to
measure temperature at the specific location, and
transmit, via a network, the temperature at the specific location to the processing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an ambient air purge operatively connected to the directional control unit, and configured to transfer ambient air to a directional control unit, the gas analyzer, and the sampling chamber,
wherein the ambient air is configured to purge the portion of exhaust flow from the directional control unit, the gas analyzer, and the sampling chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas analyzer measures one or more gases using chemiluminescence.

14. An apparatus configured to monitor emissions of an engine, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to receive and process data associated with a plurality of gases, particulate matter, and an engine state, and process a time the data is received, and configured to generate a report, based on the processed data, indicative of a concentration level for each emitted gas, a concentration level of the particulate matter, and the engine state; and
a transmitter configured to transmit an alert when the concentration level of one of the gases exceeds a predetermined gas level, or when the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the time is a global position system time of the engine.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of gases is received from a gas analyzer configured to measure the concentration levels of gases using at least one laser, and
wherein the data associated with the particulate matter is received from a particulate matter analyzer configured to measure the concentration levels of the particulate matter using optics.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of gases comprises nitrous oxide data, sulfur oxide data, and carbon dioxide data, and
wherein the nitrous oxide data is indicative of a concentration level of nitrous oxide, the sulfur oxide data is indicative of a concentration level of sulfur oxide, and the carbon dioxide data is indicative of a concentration level of carbon dioxide.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein processor is further configured to correlate the nitrous oxide data with a vehicle position and determine whether the concentration level of the nitrous oxide exceeds a predetermined nitrous oxide level based on the vehicle position,
correlate the sulfur oxide data with the vehicle position and determine whether the concentration level of the sulfur oxide exceeds a predetermined sulfur oxide level based on the vehicle position, and
correlate carbon dioxide data with the vehicle position and determine whether the concentration level of the carbon dioxide exceeds a predetermined carbon dioxide level based on the vehicle position.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the particulate matter data is indicative of a concentration level of the particulate matter.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to correlate the particulate matter data with the vehicle position, and determine whether the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level based on the vehicle position.

21. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a sampling chamber, a portion of an exhaust flow from an exhaust stack, wherein the portion of the exhaust flow comprises one or more gases and particulate matter;
receiving, at a gas analyzer, the portion of the exhaust flow to measure at least one emission level of the one or more gases using a laser and outputting a signal indicative thereof; and
measuring, by a particulate matter analyzer, the particulate matter using optics and outputting a signal indicative thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:
receiving, at a directional control unit, the portion of an exhaust flow from an exhaust stack; and
transferring the portion of the exhaust flow to the sampling chamber and the gas analyzer.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
drawing, by a constant pump, the portion of the exhaust flow from the direction control unit to the sampling chamber; and
returning the portion of the exhaust flow to the exhaust stack.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
receiving, at the sampling chamber, the portion of the exhaust flow from one of a plurality of exhaust stacks, via the direction control unit.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
returning the portion of the exhaust flow to the exhaust stack, when analysis of the portion of the exhaust flow is completed.

26. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
receiving the portion of the exhaust flow in a chamber of the gas analyzer,
wherein the chamber is equipped with a number of lasers, and each laser is dedicated to a specific type of gas.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
receiving, from the directional control unit, the portion of the exhaust flow in a chamber of the gas analyzer.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the portion of the exhaust flow comprises nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
measuring and collecting data related to the nitrogen oxide by a nitrogen oxide laser;
measuring and collecting data related the sulfur oxide by a sulfur oxide laser; and
measuring and collecting data related to the carbon dioxide by a carbon dioxide laser.

30. The method of claim 29 , further comprising:
transmitting, via a network, the nitrogen oxide data, the sulfur oxide data, and the carbon dioxide data to a processing unit.

31. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
transmitting, via a network, particulate matter data to the processing unit.

32. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
measuring, by a thermocouple, temperature in plurality of locations of an method; and
transmitting, via a network, the temperature of the plurality of locations to the processing unit.

33. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
transferring, by an ambient air purge, ambient air to a directional control unit, the gas analyzer, and the sampling chamber; and
purging the portion of exhaust flow from the directional control unit, the gas analyzer, and the sampling chamber.

34. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
measuring the gas analyzer measures one or more gases using chemiluminescence.

35. A method for monitoring emissions of an engine, the method comprising:
receiving and processing data associated with a plurality of gases, particulate matter, and an engine state, and processing a time the data is received;
generating a report, based on the processed data, indicative of a concentration level for each emitted gas, a concentration level of the particulate matter, and the engine state; and
transmitting an alert when the concentration level of one of the gases exceeds a predetermined gas level, or when the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the time is a global position system time of the engine.

37. The method of claim 35 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of gases is received from a gas analyzer configured to measure the concentration levels of gases using at least one laser, and
wherein the data associated with the particulate matter is received from a particulate matter analyzer configured to measure the concentration levels of the particulate matter using optics.

38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of gases comprises nitrous oxide data, sulfur oxide data, and carbon dioxide data, and
wherein the nitrous oxide data is indicative of a concentration level of nitrous oxide, the sulfur oxide data is indicative of a concentration level of sulfur oxide, and the carbon dioxide data is indicative of a concentration level of carbon dioxide.

39. The method of claim 38 , further comprising:
correlating the nitrous oxide data with a vehicle position, and determining whether the concentration level of the nitrous oxide exceeds a predetermined nitrous oxide level based on the vehicle position,
correlating the sulfur oxide data with the vehicle position, and determining whether the concentration level of the sulfur oxide exceeds a predetermined sulfur oxide level based on the vehicle position, and
correlating carbon dioxide data with the vehicle position, and determining whether the concentration level of the carbon dioxide exceeds a predetermined carbon dioxide level based on the vehicle position.

40. The method of claim 39 , wherein the particulate matter data is indicative of a concentration level of the particulate matter.

41. The method of claim 40 , further comprising:
correlating the particulate matter data with the vehicle position, and determining whether the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level based on the vehicle position.

42. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program, when executed, is configured to control a processor to perform:
receive and process data associated with a plurality of gases, particulate matter, and an engine state, and processing a time the data is received;
generate a report, based on the processed data, indicative of a concentration level for each emitted gas, a concentration level of the particulate matter, and the engine state; and
transmit an alert when the concentration level of one of the gases exceeds a predetermined gas level, or when the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level.

43. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 42 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of gases is received from a plurality of gas analyzers configured to measure the concentration levels of gases using a laser,
wherein the data associated with the particulate matter is received from a particulate matter sensor configured to measure the concentration level of the particulate matter using a laser; and
wherein the data associated with the vehicle position is received from a position indicator.

44. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 42 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of gases comprises nitrous oxide data, sulfur oxide data, and carbon dioxide data, and
wherein the nitrous oxide data is indicative of a concentration level of nitrous oxide, the sulfur oxide data is indicative of a concentration level of sulfur oxide, and carbon dioxide data is indicative of a concentration level of carbon dioxide.

45. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 44 , wherein the computer program, when executed, is further configured to control a processor to perform:
correlate the nitrous oxide data with a vehicle position and determine whether the concentration level of the nitrous oxide exceeds a predetermined nitrous oxide level based on the vehicle position;
correlate the sulfur oxide data with the vehicle position and determine whether the concentration level of the sulfur oxide exceeds a predetermined sulfur oxide level based on the vehicle position; and
correlate carbon dioxide data with the vehicle position and determine whether the concentration level of the carbon dioxide exceeds a predetermined carbon dioxide level based on the vehicle position.

46. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 45 , wherein the particulate matter data is indicative of a concentration level of the particulate matter.

47. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46 , wherein the computer program, when executed, is further configured to control a processor to perform:
correlate the particulate matter data with the vehicle position, and determine whether the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level based on the vehicle position.

48. A method, comprising:
receiving and processing data associated with a plurality of gases and particulate matter, and processing a time the data is received;
generating a report, based on the processed data, indicative of a concentration level for each emitted gas and a concentration level of the particulate matter; and
transmitting an alert when the concentration level of one of the gases exceeds a predetermined gas level, or when the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level.

49. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program, when executed, is configured to control a processor to perform:
receive and process data associated with a plurality of gases and particulate matter, and processing a time the data is received;
generate a report, based on the processed data, indicative of a concentration level for each emitted gas and a concentration level of the particulate matter; and
transmit an alert when the concentration level of one of the gases exceeds a predetermined gas level, or when the concentration level of the particulate matter exceeds a predetermined particulate matter level.

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